Network analysis of sea turtle movements and connectivity: a tool for conservation prioritization

Aim: Understanding the spatial ecology of animal movements is a critical element in conserving long-lived, highly mobile marine species. Analysing networks developed from movements of six sea turtle species reveals marine connectivity and can help prioritize conservation efforts.
Location: Global.
Methods: We collated telemetry data from 1,235 individuals and reviewed the literature to determine our dataset’s representativeness. We used the telemetry data to develop spatial networks at different scales to examine areas, connections, and their geographic arrangement. We used graph theory metrics to compare networks across regions and species and to identify the role of important areas and connections.
Results: Relevant literature and citations for data used in this study had very little overlap. Network analysis showed that sampling effort influenced network structure and the arrangement of areas and connections for most networks was complex. However, important areas and connections iden...

研究目标：解析动物运动的空间生态学特征，是保护长寿且高度洄游的海洋物种的核心环节。基于6种海龟运动轨迹构建的网络分析，可揭示海洋连通性，进而助力确定保护工作的优先级。
研究区域：全球范围。
研究方法：本研究汇编了1235个个体的遥测数据（telemetry data），并通过文献检索评估本数据集的代表性。依托该遥测数据，我们构建不同尺度的空间网络，以解析研究区域、连通路径及其地理分布格局；同时采用图论指标，跨区域与物种维度对比网络结构，并识别关键区域与连通路径的作用。
研究结果：本研究所用数据的相关文献与引用文献重合度极低。网络分析结果显示，采样力度对网络结构存在显著影响，且多数网络的区域分布与连通格局较为复杂。然而，关键区域与连通路径的识别...